Learning to Breath
by That One Chiklit
Summary: “Stay with me, love.” He asked, but she was already fading fast. “Help is coming.” He promised before she slipped into sweet darkness. He didn't realize how true those words actually were. Normal Pairings, no Bella.


October 25, 2009

The rain pours from the sky, running Bailey's hair into her face and making it nearly impossible to see. She blinks a few times and swipes at her hair. Her hand nearly misses, and she ends up awkwardly slapping her own face. If she hadn't been in such a state of shock she would have laughed at her own clumsiness. However, she still stood awkwardly by the side of the road, starring at the trees on the other side. Her entire body yearned to take a step forward into the dark bushy abyss, and forget about what happened, but she couldn't will her legs to move. No matter how hard she tried to step away, she couldn't. Bailey didn't know how long she stood there, feeling the heat of the slowly burning wreckage a few feet from where she stood, until a single car drove by. In fact, she wouldn't have even noticed it had it not been such a fancy car. Eric loved fancy cars.

Thinking of her lost step-father inside the mangled pile of scrap metal sent a keening moan from her lips. She shuddered and her knees began to shake. There was a voice in the distance, but she paid no attention, still lost in her agony. Soon, her entire body began to tremble and shake as she relieved their final moment in her mind. Sharp pained breaths began to rasp up and down her throat. Her legs began to give way and she began to slump toward the ground. Firm hands grasped her under her arms and for a moment Bailey was stunned into not breathing. She was caught between surprise and bliss as the pain radiating from her chest subsided for just a moment, but it soon passed and another moan escaped her throat violently.

"Easy now," a soothing voice called over her own noises and the rain. Gently, she was lowered onto the springy moss on the side of the road, and a bright face swam into view. It was so pale; it threw rainbows into the rain and distracted Bailey.

"Look at me," the nearly musical voice demanded. Her eyes shifted back to the blurry face. She began to think his face has too much water on it like hers had, so she reached up to wipe it away. Strong fingers clasped her wrist and held it still.

"Focus on me, love. Where does it hurt?" the voice asked. A flash of lightening caught her eye and she glanced up at the sky, only to get another face full of water. The same hand released her wrist and placed it on her face, guiding it back to him. At this point, she was sure it couldn't have been female. When she looked back at him, his face had cleared slightly, and her breath caught again, stunned by his beauty. His pale blond hair was now dripping on either side of his face, and his light golden eyes stared intently at hers with such care that she was once again reminded of her family smashed inside the car nearby.

Once more, shallow panicked breath began to wheeze from her lungs as she tried her best to not think of the deaths.

"Listen to me, sweetheart. Focus on me." He demanded again and her breathing eased. She blinked slowly now, feeling an intense fatigue overcome her.

"Stay with me, love." He asked, but she was already fading fast. "Help is coming." He promised before she slipped into sweet darkness.

* * *

When Bailey woke back up, the rain was gone. But so was the perfect blond angel. She lay perfectly still for a time, starring at the nearly blindingly white ceiling, waiting for some sort of sign that she was in fact dead. After many moments of nothing occurring, she finally shifted and moved to sit up. There was a sharp stabbing pain in her ribs and a tiny gasp escaped her lips. Okay, so she wasn't dead. Almost instantly, there were hands on her shoulders, carefully avoiding where the source of pain was and pushing her back down. She moaned and began to fight the arms that restrained her, to no avail of course.

"Easy now, love. You're perfectly safe." A voice said above her, probably belonging to the arms that held her captive the bed or whatever it was. Bailey faltered, turning to see what magical person the music-like voice belonged to.

"Good morning, sleepy head." The voice greeted her as she turned to face him. It was her blond savior from the accident. She flinched and pulled away from him.

"Are you in any pain?" He asked, concerned, obviously seeing her grimace. She shook her head.

"Is there anything I can get you?" Bailey ignored him, trying very hard to keep her eyes from drifting toward him. He sighed and shifted into her line of view, sitting on the edge of her bed. Her eyes drifted toward him, attracted by his almost shimmer-like quality to his face and neck.

"Do you remember what happened?" He asked the most caring look on his face. Bailey glared.

"Alright, I get it. But you will have to talk about it at some point. But in the mean time, you've broken quite a few ribs, so try not to stress them too much. I'm surprised you will still standing by the time I got to you." He said. She shifted again and hissed at the pain, being able to pinpoint exactly which ribs were broken. "Also, he continued, you've got a few internal injuries, most likely from the seat belt impact." Bailey blinked furiously.

"But there is one other thing I want to talk to you about." Her angel looked almost embarrassed as he said this. "I've run quite a few tests, including a few blood tests." He paused; Bailey gave him a "get on with it!" look.

"It seems as if you're pregnant." He said quickly, "a little more than a month by the looks of it." Her jaw dropped.

"What?!" She intended to scream, but her voice was hoarse and came out barely as a whisper. The man immediately placed his hands up as a calming gesture, as if to subdue her.

"Don't worry, the baby wasn't hurt in the accident." He said, moving closer to her as she began to hyperventilate. With mention of the accident, Bailey lurched forward and all the air rushed from her lungs. She gaped like a fish as she tried to draw in enough air.

Lungs searing and black spots appearing before her eyes, her savior once more came to her rescue.

"Deep breaths. That's it, easy now." He said as placed an oxygen mask over her mouth and nose. Sweet blessed oxygen filled her lungs and she glanced up at him.

"Thank you, …" She paused for his name, and coughed.

"I'm Doctor Cullen, but try not to talk for now, give your body a little time to regain strength." Bailey nodded, and her eyes drooped a little.

"It's probably best if you try and get some sleep. We can talk more when you wake." Bailey nodded once more and slowly leaned back, her eyes nearly closing. As she was drifting off, she almost nearly missed him brushing her hair away from her face, and whispering "Sweet dreams, love."


End file.
